UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(CoET)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

TR 331 PRACTICAL REPORTS No. 5

AGGREGATE STRENGHT TESTS

Name: ROGART, JOACHIM

Reg. No: 2012-04-02337

Course: B.Sc. in Civil Engineering

Group: 4
 1. SHAPE TEST

The particle shape of aggregates is determined by the percentages of flaky and elongated
particles contained in it. In the case of gravel it is determined by its angularity number. For
base course and construction of bituminous and cement concrete types the presence of flaky
and elongated particles are considered undesirable as they may cause inherent weakness with
possibilities of breaking down under heavy loads.

FLAKINESS INDEX (FI)

Flaky particles are the particles whose thicknesses are less than 0.6 of their mean size (e.g.
mean size of 14–10mm fraction is 12mm, therefore, thickness of flaky particle is
Less than 0.6 x 12 = 7.2mm).
The test is carried out on the aggregate particles of different sizes from 6.3mm to 63mm
using thickness gauge (with specific slot sizes).

OBJECTIVE
To determine the Flakiness Index of coarse aggregates

APPARATUS USED
 Riffle box
 Balance
 Test sieves
 Metal trays
 Metal thickness gauge

Procedures:
 Obtain the test sample by quartering or riffling the aggregate.
 Weigh and record the weight of the obtained sample.
 Sieve the sample on 63, 50, 37.5, 28, 20, 14, 10 and 6.3 mm sieves
And discard the sizes larger than 63 mm and smaller than 6.3 mm.
 Determine the weight of particles retained on each sieve and
Discard the size whose weight is less than 5% of the total sample.
 Pass each fraction through the specified slot on the gauge.
 Determine the weight of particles passing through each slot.

Calculations:

FI = Total weight of particles passing through the slots x 100

Total weight of sample (excluding the discarded size)

ELONGATION INDEX (EI)

Is found by separating the elongated particles using a standard Metal Length
Gauge and expressing their mass as a percentage of the sample mass.
Applicable to material passing
OBJECTIVE
To determine the elongation index of coarse aggregates

APPARATUS USED
a) Riffle box
b) Balance
c) Test sieves
d) Metal trays
e) Metal length gauge

Procedures:
 Obtain the test sample by quartering or riffling the aggregate.
 Weigh and record the weight of the obtained sample.
 Sieve the sample on 50, 37.5, 28, 20, 14, 10 and 6.3 mm sieves and
Discard the particles larger than 50 mm and smaller than 6.3 mm.
 Determine the weight of particles retained on each sieve and
Discard the size whose weight is less than 5% of the total sample.
 Pass each fraction through the specified gap on the elongation gauge.
 Weigh the particles that do not pass through the designated gaps (i.e. elongated
particles).

Calculations:

EI = Total weight of the retaining particles x 100

Total weight of sample (excluding the discarded size)

CONCLUSION
the percentage obtained of flakiness index 10.77% and elongation index 24.69% is within th
range required.
 LOS ANGELES ABRASION (LAA) TEST

INTRODUCTION
The LAA test measures resistance of aggregate to abrasion (i.e. hardness), by
subjecting aggregate particles (mixed with specific number of steel spheres) to 500
revolutions in a rotary steel drum.

OBJECTIVE:
To assess the hardness of coarse aggregates used in pavement in pavement construction. Due
to movement of traffic, the road stones used in the surface course are subjected to wearing
action at the top. Resistance to wear or hardness is hence an essential property for road
aggregates, especially when used in wearing course.

APPARATI USED
 Los Angeles Testing Machine (LAA machine)
 Test sieves
 Metal trays of known mass
 Drying oven
 Charges
 Balance

SAMPLE PREPARATION
 The aggregate sample required for testing passed through 37.5mm sieve and retained
on 4.7mm
 The sieved sample was then washed and oven dried at (105-110) °C to substantially
constant mass.
 Then the sample aggregates was graded in accordance to its use in the pavement
construction and then prepared in test fractions.
 In our case the sample aggregates fell in grade A which had 4 test fractions as
follows; sieve: 37.5 – 25 mm, 25 – 19 mm, 19-12.5 mm and 12.5 – 9.5 mm.
 Their weights were measured and their values recorded.

PROCEDURES
 The sample was placed in the LAA machine with the charges in it (i.e. 12) then it was
then rotated at a speed of 33 rpm for 500 revolutions.
 After the 500 revolutions, the material was carefully discharged.
 Then the sample was sieved through 4.75mm (i.e. to remove coarser particles) and
then on 1.7mm sieves.
 The material retained on both sieved were washed and oven dried at 105°C to 110°C
to a constant mass and then their weights recorded.
DATA COLLECTED
The data collected in filled in a separate data sheet attached to this report.

CALCULATIONS AND ANALYSIS

mass of sample passing on the 1.7 mm sieve( g)

LAAV = x 100 %
mass of the whole sample

total mass−Σ(weight retained on 4.75∧1.7 mm sieves)

LAAV = x 100 %
total sample weight

[5003 g−( 1826.2+ 932.6)] g

= x 100 %=36.17 % 44 . 86 %
5003 g

SOURCES OF ERRORS
 Error in approximating the values from the balance while weighing masses
 Incorrect sieving which may lead to loss of particles which reduce the real weight of
the sample.
 Wearing of the charges which may not provide required abrasion force on the
aggregates.

RECOMMENDATIONS
 Increase of duration of the practical for proper understanding.
 The instructors have to encourage the participation of the students in doing of the
experiment as this increases more understanding of the relationship between
laboratory tests and real practical site situation
 Number of students per group must be reduced significantly to allow good interaction
of the laboratory instructors and the students during practical’s hours.
 Maintenance of the laboratory equipment’s for proper understanding of how they
work and not relying on demos.

CONCLUSION
The Los Angeles Abrasion test helps to imitate real practical’s situation where pavement is
exposed to traffic loads always.
 3. THE SOUNDNESS TEST

INTRODUCTION

The soundness test determines an aggregate’s resistance to disintegration by weathering and,

in particular, freeze-thaw cycles.

The soundness test repeatedly submerges an aggregate sample in a sodium sulphate or

magnesium sulphate solution. This process causes salt crystals to form in the aggregate’s
water permeable pores. The formation of these crystals creates internal forces that apply
pressure on aggregate pores and tend to break the aggregate. After a specified number of
submerging and drying repetitions, the aggregate is sieved to determine the percent loss of
material.

OBJECTIVE
To estimate the soundness of aggregates subject to weathering action for the use in concrete
and road pavements.
APPARATUS
 Balance
 Test sieves
 Metal trays of known masses
 Drying oven
 Containers (to put solution)

SOLUTIONPREPARATION
 A sodium sulphate solution was prepared at room temperature by dissolving the salt
in water
 The solution was then left for 48 hours to attain a uniform room temperature before
testing aggregates.

SAMPLEPREPARATION
 The sieved sample was washed and oven dried at (110+5) °C to a constant mass.
 Then the sample was separated into three different test fractions as follows; 37.5 –
19mm, 19 – 9.5mm and 9.5 – 4.75mm
 The test fractions were weighed and their values recorded.

PROCEDURES
 The samples were immersed into the sodium sulphate solution prepared for 16 hours
with the solution covering the aggregates to a depth of at least 15mm.
 The solution’s temperature was kept at 21°C
 After the immersion the aggregates were removed from the solution and allowed to
drain for 15minutes then oven dried at (110+5) °C until constant mass achieved.
 Then the samples were allowed to cool to room temperature.
  They were again dipped in the solution for another cycle. The cycles performed on the
samples were five.
 After completion of the final cycle and after the sample had cooled, the samples were
washed with Barium Chloride solution to remove the sodium sulphate crystals
attached to the aggregates.
 They were then all dried to a constant mass at (110+5) °C
 The samples were then sieved through the following sieves for the appropriate size of
particle.
 The materials retained in each sieve were weighed and their values recorded.
 The difference between each of these values and the initial mass of the fraction of
the sample tested is the loss in the test.
 Their percentages of the initial mass were determined also.

CALCULATIONS AND ANALYSIS

(weight before−weight after of thetest fraction)
%loss of material= x 100 %
weigthbefore

weight of original sample retained ( g )

grading of original sample ( % )= x 100 %
total weight of sample

% passing x grading of sample (¿ %)

( % loss )=
100

Therefore the percentage loss in the coarse aggregates is 0.684%

SOURCES OF ERRORS
 Error in approximating the values from the balance while weighing masses
 Incorrect sieving which may lead to loss of particles which reduce the real weight of
the sample.
 Over drying the samples due to negligence which may result in incorrect masses of
the samples.

CONCLUSION
The soundness test reflects the weathering effects on the aggregates used in different
activities employing concrete and also on pavement construction.
Common weathering agents which erode the construction works are heat, water, heavy rains,
strong winds etc. thus sodium sulphate plays the role of the weathering agents by eroding the
aggregates surfaces.